Prudence Foundation, the community investment arm of Prudential plc in Asia and Africa, the parent company of leading life insurer Pru Life UK, together with Junior Achievement (JA) Philippines kick-started 2021 by celebrating the achievements of the Cha-Ching Curriculum at the Cha-Ching Financial Accreditation (CCFA) virtual award ceremony on January 15, 2021.

“The future of a country lies in the classrooms of today; and by providing children with the right financial skills and knowledge, we are building a generation equipped with responsible financial behaviors that will help them achieve their goals and navigate a successful life,” said Marc Fancy, Executive Director of Prudence Foundation.

Amidst the ongoing pandemic, JA Philippines has acknowledged the Cha-Ching teachers through a new series of educational and institutional awards in the beginning of the year.

“We at JA are committed to empowering young people. A great way to drive this is to nurture and recognize outstanding teachers who dedicate and distinguish themselves in such a noble pursuit,” shared Maziar Sabet, President and CEO of JA Asia Pacific.

Celebrating its 10th year of launch in the Asia-Pacific region, Cha-Ching is a financial literacy program that teaches elementary students money-smart concepts of Earn, Save, Spend, and Donate. Through animated music videos and other educational resources, children as young as seven years old are exposed to foundational financial concepts that help guide their decision-making throughout their lives.

Launched in the Philippines in 2016, the Cha-Ching Curriculum, created by Prudence Foundation in partnership with JA Philippines and sponsored by Pru Life UK, is complemented by the rollout of the Cha-Ching Financial Accreditation (CCFA), an online assessment tool which aims to develop educators’ competencies in teaching the Cha-Ching Curriculum in their respective schools and regions, endorsed by the Department of Education in the Philippines and across Asia. Developed in partnership with JA Asia Pacific, the CCFA is aligned with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Core Competencies Framework on Financial Literacy for Youth and the ASEAN Teachers Competency Framework.

Teachers who successfully completed the training have received a CCFA certification as an acknowledgment of their dedication and professionalism in implementing the Cha-Ching Curriculum. Special awards were also given to teachers who have shown exemplary commitment and excellence in teaching young children the value of financial literacy.

“Pru Life UK remains committed to supporting financial education among Filipinos. We encourage everyone to join us as champions of this advocacy,” shared Allan Tumbaga, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Marketing Officer of Pru Life UK at the awarding ceremony.

Rose Fres Fausto, a renowned investment banker and current columnist at the Philippine Star, delivered a keynote speech focused on financial education at the ceremony. She also answered questions and shared valuable insights about the impact of financial literacy on personal development at a discussion forum.

Krishna Alejandrino, Executive Director of JA Philippines also graced the event.

A total of 2,075 Cha-Ching teachers registered and passed the accreditation for the School Year 2019-2020. These teachers are hailed from Negros Occidental, Camarines Sur, and Albay.

The following top awards were conferred during the virtual ceremony. The Top Certified CCFA Passers, given to teachers who scored full marks on their accreditation, were awarded to 50 out of 2,000 recipients across Negros Occidental, Camarines Sur, and Albay.

The Outstanding Educator of the Year Award recognizes teachers who exemplify remarkable dedication and implementation of the Cha-Ching Curriculum despite challenges around resources, geographical location, and fallout from COVID-19. The awards were presented by Marc Fancy to Vicky Sugino from Negros Occidental and Jerica Quitalia from Albay.

The Outstanding CCFA Network Partner went to Goa Elementary School, for their outstanding implementation and program structure. While the Cha-Ching Bling Award went to the school with the best implementation of Earn, Save, Spend, and Donate through school activities, resulting in the greatest impact on students and their community. Pagatpat Elementary School was the proud recipient of this award, with a cash prize for Brigada Eskwela.

Over 157,000 students in the Philippines have benefitted from the Cha-Ching program in the past year. Going forward, this will be expanded with modules further integrated into the country’s existing elementary school curriculum.